Mandya: Former chief minister and JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy on Friday kept the option to field his son Nikhil Kumaraswamy from Mandya Lok Sabha seat open. While he asserted that it will be left to Nikhil to decide, he said the party will announce the candidate on March 25.
Making an emotional appeal to voters in the Vokkaliga heartland during a party workers’ meeting here, Kumaraswamy said if the JD(S) loses the Mandya seat in this , it is as good as dead.
Following fervent appeals by party workers to field Nikhil if he is not keen to contest during the two-hour meeting, Kumaraswamy said, “I’ll not hurt your feelings. I will advise Nikhil to contest.”
“It is Mandya which gave power to our family more than Hassan. I will bow with respect to your demand that either me or Nikhil should contest. I will not go against your words,” he said.
During the 2019 general elections, Nikhil lost the polls to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in a bitterly fought fight with local Congress leaders working for the actor while BJP had extended its support to her. Kumaraswamy headed the JD(S)-Congress government. Though JD(S) represented all the eight assembly segments in Mandya, Nikhil lost by a margin of 1.25 lakh votes.
Kumaraswamy told the meeting that he is undergoing a surgery on March 21 but will return to campaigning on March 24 or 25. “As soon as I’m back, I will announce the candidate,” he said.
Nikhil stated that if he contests from Mandya, he can’t campaign in other constituencies.
Local party leaders are on tenterhooks as Kumaraswamy was expected to announce the candidate during Friday’s meeting given that alliance partner BJP has announced 20 candidates.
Kumaraswamy stated that MP Sumalatha, who is part of the NDA as she has extended her support to BJP, is like his elder sister. The NDA will fight the elections unitedly, he said.
Kumaraswamy became emotional many times during the event. “Mandya people never stopped supporting our family. We made some mistakes which will be corrected,” he said.
Meanwhile, JD(S) core committee president GT Devegowda asked the party workers to start the campaign from today.
Making an emotional appeal to voters in the Vokkaliga heartland during a party workers’ meeting here, Kumaraswamy said if the JD(S) loses the Mandya seat in this , it is as good as dead.
Following fervent appeals by party workers to field Nikhil if he is not keen to contest during the two-hour meeting, Kumaraswamy said, “I’ll not hurt your feelings. I will advise Nikhil to contest.”
“It is Mandya which gave power to our family more than Hassan. I will bow with respect to your demand that either me or Nikhil should contest. I will not go against your words,” he said.
During the 2019 general elections, Nikhil lost the polls to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in a bitterly fought fight with local Congress leaders working for the actor while BJP had extended its support to her. Kumaraswamy headed the JD(S)-Congress government. Though JD(S) represented all the eight assembly segments in Mandya, Nikhil lost by a margin of 1.25 lakh votes.
Kumaraswamy told the meeting that he is undergoing a surgery on March 21 but will return to campaigning on March 24 or 25. “As soon as I’m back, I will announce the candidate,” he said.
Nikhil stated that if he contests from Mandya, he can’t campaign in other constituencies.
Local party leaders are on tenterhooks as Kumaraswamy was expected to announce the candidate during Friday’s meeting given that alliance partner BJP has announced 20 candidates.
Kumaraswamy stated that MP Sumalatha, who is part of the NDA as she has extended her support to BJP, is like his elder sister. The NDA will fight the elections unitedly, he said.
Kumaraswamy became emotional many times during the event. “Mandya people never stopped supporting our family. We made some mistakes which will be corrected,” he said.
Meanwhile, JD(S) core committee president GT Devegowda asked the party workers to start the campaign from today.
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